Software
Based on the most popular web servers around the world there are only two
options to choose from, if Windows Server is available then the best choice is
Microsoft's IIS (Internet Information Services) on Windows Server the full
package is available but a stripped down version is available on some business
class versions. IIS comes with a powerful GUI that enables you to configure
everything with a few clicks, it can be daunting on the first visits but the
basics are easy to get to grips with.
|
Windows IIS Compatibility |
|
Operating System |
Version |
IIS |
Limitations |
|
Windows XP |
Home |
No |
|
|
|
Pro |
Yes |
10 Connections |
|
Windows Vista |
Home Basic |
No |
|
|
|
Home Premium |
Yes |
3 Requests, Queued |
|
|
Ultimate/Business |
Yes |
10 Requests, Queued |
|
Windows 7 |
All Versions |
Yes |
|
|
Windows 8 |
All Versions |
Yes |
|
|
Windows 10 |
All Versions |
Yes |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Windows 2000 |
Professional |
Yes |
10 Connections |
|
|
Server |
Yes |
|
|
Windows 2003 Server |
All Versions |
Yes |
|
|
Windows 2008 Server |
All Versions |
Yes |
|
|
Windows 2012 Server |
All Versions |
Yes |
|
|
Windows 2016 Server |
All Version |
Yes |
|
The other alternative is Apache, which is the go to option for all Linux systems
and is available for all versions of Windows. Unlike IIS, Apache can be
installed and run like any other program instead of being highly integrated into
the operating system, it's also highly scalable and customisable meaning the
same version is at home serving small hobbyist websites as it is big corporate
website.
Downside for newcomers is that all configuration is achieved by editing
text files, making it harder to figure out problems when they arise or when it
simply doesn't work. But it is free, so if a version of Windows with IIS is out
of reach, it's worth a try before forking out a hefty chunk of cash for IIS.
Whatever operating system you choose it is imperative
that everything is kept up to date, when hosting a website a path the server is
open to the whole of the Internet by design. Miscreants are always finding ways
of hacking and infiltrating computers and while firewalls and antivirus can help
protect consumers along with savvy browsing, a web server can be a sitting duck
as it always responds to website requests, and therefore is a target for
hackers. I learnt the hard way as in 2001 my freshly installed and un-patched
server became a victims to
Code Red, a virus that targeted IIS web servers and
was very successful at it, as I found out.
